Beautiful Like Chocolate RodneyMiko
by Starrylizard
Summary: PG, Fluff, Characters: Miko and Rodney, Kavanagh, Zelenka, Sheppard Spoilers: None Summary: Miko is upset and Rodney cheers her up with some unusual compliments.


Title: Beautiful Like Chocolate

Author: LJ user "Starrylizard"

Characters: Miko/Rodney, Kavanagh, Zelenka, Sheppard

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis

Rating: PG, Fluff, gen

Spoilers: None

Summary: Much like Miko, I had an experience recently that made me feel like this and someone cheered me up. This fic is the result.

Beta: Many thanks to the lovely Rinne

_(My apologies for the timeskips disapearing in this fic. I have no idea where they went and I hope it didn't cause confusion. )_

OoooO

"Where is Miko? She should have been here twenty minutes ago and it's not like her. She's Miss Punctuality right up until the project is ready to go online and then what; she just doesn't bother to show up?" Rodney's face was slowly turning a beet red, as he paced back and forth, his hands twitching in agitation.

Radek just shook his head at Rodney's little outburst. They were all on edge. It had taken weeks of much trial and error testing of the virtual models, followed by several more weeks of rerouting power cables, and Dr Kusinagi had been there, quietly soothing frayed nerves of the other scientists, while also adding her own thoughtful scientific input. Now, when they were about to turn it all on, she just wasn't to be found.

"I think I saw her go into the tea room earlier," stated Kavanagh. "I haven't seen her since though and that was hours ago."

Rodney, in his usual style, didn't even acknowledge Kavanagh, he just stormed off toward the tearoom. The so-called 'tearoom' was really a small office space next to the main lab, which the scientists had converted to a tearoom of sorts. It meant they could get their regular caffeine fix, without needing to leave the lab and make the arduous trek to the mess. They'd quickly built up a system for filching supplies and, to Rodney's pleasure, it had alleviated many of the long breaks his staff had been taking and increased productivity out of sight.

"Miko? Are you in there? We're all waiting out here," Rodney called out. As he came closer to the room, he could see the silhouette of someone about Miko's size and shape sitting in one of the comfy chairs inside.

"Dr Kusinagi, you do realise we are about to start the final countdown on this thing, right? You know, that little project we've all been working on for the past month or so…" His voice petered out as he entered the room and realised Miko was scrunched down in the chair, her shoulders hunched dejectedly and her small frame shaking with silent sobs. At Rodney's explosive entrance, she had slid down even lower in the chair, hiding her face behind her thick black hair.

"Miko?" Rodney's head tilted to one side in a show of confusion, his anger suddenly forgotten. "Miko? What's wrong? Has something happened?"

Miko waved at him limply with her hand, before babbling something in broken Japanese and slumping even further into the chair. McKay cringed slightly at the movement, reaching to knead his own lower back in sympathy pain for the awkward position she was in.

"Dr McKay, are we doing this thing or…" Kavanagh's voice trailed off, as he too caught a glimpse of Miko.

"Go away, get out of here Kavanagh and tell the others we're postponing for now. Meet again in another hour." McKay turned angrily on Kavanagh, as if he was somehow personally responsible for Miko's current state.

Kavanagh looked as if he was going to argue the point, but then with another glance at Miko, he turned around and headed back to deliver the news to the others.

Once he'd gone, McKay moved closer to Miko, kneeling down in front of her, so that he could look up into her tear-streaked face. The sight of the woman in tears made him angry and he wasn't quite sure why. He reached out, placing a hand gently on her knee.

"Miko? What happened? Has someone upset you?"

Miko shrugged. From her expression, she was trying to decide if McKay was for real, but then she just crumbled into tears again. She started babbling in Japanese again, sobbing so hard, that McKay wondered if he would understand even if he had spoken her language fluently.

"Miko, hey calm down. Here." McKay reached into the pocket of his rumpled clothes and pulled out an equally rumpled handkerchief. "It's clean. Here." He reached up gently to wipe at the tears on her face and suddenly Miko had her arms wrapped around his shoulders, half strangling him, with the strength of her hug. They stayed like that for a few moments, both kneeling on the floor, Miko sobbing gently into Rodney's shoulder, while he in turn patted her back awkwardly, rocking and humming what he hoped were soothing sounds.

The whole time his mind was going over what he would do to the person that had upset his charge so much. He was the only person in the city entitled to upset Miko and even he rarely succeeded. For someone to have…well it just made him so… Even in his head Rodney was finding it hard to find words fitting to describe such a person.

Finally Rodney pulled back lightly, pushing the woman out far enough from him that he could look into her tear stained face again.

"Miko, you can tell me. What happened?"

She took a few shuddering deep breaths, seeking some sort of composure, before she finally spoke.

"He said I was fat. He said my ass was bigger than a puddle jumper and my head was too big. I'm ugly, Dr McKay. Don't look at me, please." She buried her head in her hands, shaking once more.

Rodney felt his pulse quicken, his poorly hidden anger bubbling right up to the surface again. "He said what? Who said that Miko? That's bullshit!" he railed. "Just tell me who said that and I'll, I'll, I'll reset their shower controls to ice cold, I'll turn on their fire retardant system at 4am, I'll set their room to lock and unlock at random intervals, I'll…" Rodney stopped. Miko was looking at him again, her lips just forming into a ghost of a smile.

"Miko. You're beautiful. You're body is shaped like the perfect hour glass of a coca cola bottle. Look, I can put my hands right around your waist, like so." Rodney demonstrated, getting a small gasp and then a giggle from Miko. "See,"

"…and your eyes are like liquid chocolate, beautiful and bold and sweet all at once." Miko quickly glanced down shyly, avoiding eye contact, but her cheeks blushed and she was grinning openly now.

"Oh Rodney, you are a tease," she whispered.

"No, Miko. Have you truly been working for me for this last year and never noticed that I always tell the truth? When have I ever lied?"

Miko was now staring into Rodney's eyes. Rodney, his hands still wrapped around Miko's waist, gave a wicked grin. "Now where was I? Oh yes, your hair is so dark and thick and beautiful, like lovely strands of liquorice."

Miko giggled happily. "Rodney, do you always compliment a girl by comparing her to food?"

"No, not always, but food is sexy and tasty, and it seems like a pretty good analogy at the moment. It's working for me, anyway. How about you?"

Miko squealed suddenly, as McKay's hand wandered across her belly, tickling her.

"Your tummy is like… oh I know those gummy bears they sell at the supermarket, and did you know your cheeks just blushed the colour of raspberries?"

From down the corridor, where Kavanagh and Zelenka were sitting and listening to the odd conversation, they could hardly believe their ears. McKay really did have a soft side.

OoooO

Rodney waved his hand across the door controls and heard John Sheppard's quick, "Come in," before the door slid open and he entered the office.

"Hey Rodney, what's up?"

"I need to talk to you in a semi-professional capacity."

"Sure Rodney. What do you need?"

"I believe you have a Captain White under your command. New guy, came in on the Daedalus."

"Yeah I know him. Cocky, rather full of himself, but does his job well. What about him?"

Rodney took a deep breath, made sure the door was closed, before launching into his explanation of events.

"HE DID WHAT?" Sheppard's angry exclamation was probably heard on the next pier.

A short time later, Rodney wandered back down the corridor, a smirk pasted on his face that would have made anyone who knew him run away in terror.

OoooO

"Ah, Dr Kusinagi. Care to join me for lunch?" Rodney bounced gently on the balls of his feet.

Miko glanced up from her work, her head cocked to one side, before answering, "Sure Dr McKay. Thank you."

Rodney, still bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, stuck out an elbow and Miko clutched it companionably as they moved down the corridor.

"No, no, lets walk this way. I think you'll enjoy the view better."

Rodney steered Miko down a different corridor, Miko happily complying - even though they were now heading the wrong way. A short way down the corridor, a soldier was scrubbing the floors, blocking them from walking any further that way.

"Sorry Dr Kusinagi, it would appear our path has been blocked by this rather large soldier. Should we try the other way?"

Miko stifled a giggle, as she recognised the soldier.

"Yes, I think it would probably be faster that way, Dr McKay. Thank you."

As she said this last part, she turned her chocolate brown eyes to lock onto Rodney's, conveying a deeper meaning within that look than the words could alone. He nodded once and flashed a genuine smile, patting the hand that clutched his arm.

"You're welcome cupcake." Rodney winked at Miko.

They moved off again, this time truly heading toward the mess hall. The forlorn looking Captain White listened to their strange conversation until he could no longer hear it drifting back to him along the corridor.

"Hey Dr McKay, has anyone ever told you that your eyes are the exact colour of blue jello?"

"No, but oooh, I love blue jello. It's my favourite…"

The end


End file.
